PT-EP03 questions - antireflective ring and silica gel

[jazzcatlee]

This is my first post.

I just received my E-PL2, PT-EP03 and related paraphernalia. The instruction manual for the housing mentions and depicts an "Antireflective ring" on the front of the lens barrel. I suppose that is to prevent light from the built-in flash reaching the inside of the port and reflecting back. Is that often a problem? Should I get antireflective rings for my lenses?

Also, how essential is the use of a silica gel pack inside the housing?

Thanks!

 

[Packhorse]

The anti reflective ring stops the white writing on the front of the lens being reflected on the ports lens. This can show up in photos.

Silica will help absorb any moisture in the air that may other wise condense on the ports lens with a change of temperature.

 

[PhilW]

Jazzcatlee, if you look carefully at the bottom half of this photo you will see the writing on the front of the lens reflecting off the dome (prior to my masking off the lettering):

Surface - Karingal | Flickr - Photo Sharing!

It can look worse than this & has ruined a few photos for me.

Phil

 

[terson]

Jazzcatlee, if you look carefully at the bottom half of this photo you will see the writing on the front of the lens reflecting off the dome (prior to my masking off the lettering):

Surface - Karingal | Flickr - Photo Sharing!


Phil

I thought that that was your 'watermark'. . . .hahahaha. . . .

 

[jazzcatlee]

Aha! I'll get the rings. Many thanks.

 

[terson]

I cut mine out of a piece of plastic, no real need to waste money on these sort of items?
bruce

 

[PhilW]

Likewise (sort of); I just blacked mine out with a marker pen. I know some people won't want to do that with their lens though.

 

[terson]

I actually just cut mine out of an old plastic lens cap that I had been using for one of my Inon wet lenses.
Turned out to be the perfect diameter and i just had to cut a hole in the middle. . .super simple.
The other way of doing it cheaply is with step/down rings. Just get one the size of the port stepped down to the lens filter size and job's done!
Bruce

 

[PhilW]

Jazzcatlee is probably thinking to himself "those cheapskate Aussies"

 

[SEMO Scuba]

Check your local camera store to see if they sell Cokin filters. Cokin has an adapter ring for their A series filter that is a 40.5mm thread and works with the Oly 14-42 lens filter. It is only slightly smaller than the Oly lens shade. It is Cokin part # A440DX and costs about $10.

The Cokin adapters come in more thread sizes for other lenses too.

Filters for Photographic Lenses - Creative FIlters - www.cokin.co,.k